Re: To Digex and ALL Galaxy GMs!

From: jdc@access2.digex.net (John Cochran)

Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 00:00:00 +0000

In article <5kp1p5$djq@news1.zippo.com>, Greg Lindahl <lindahl@pbm.com> wrote:
>For what it's worth, I agree with the GM. Even if security is optional
>and some player doesn't use it, you should not be issuing orders for
>them.

For what it's worth, I've had (and am still having) a cordial E-mail exchange
with Mr. Bates involving this incident.  I hade mistaken the optional "Y"
command as a security feature in the game context not as a weak security
feature in the server context.  A quick description of what I mean follows.

Server context security - Any security designed to protect the server
      and computer that the server runs on.  Attacks in this context are
      considered outside of game play and any attacks of this nature are
      illegal.  Some examples of security here are login passwords to the
      computer running the server.  Any attacks of this nature are usually
      considered illegal in the real world.  This includes altering or
      forging E-mail headers and control lines.

Game context security - This is security implimented in the context of
      the game by the rules of the game.  Since the use of the "Y" command
      was optional and since security is a VERY REAL and CRITICAL aspect of
      warfare, I assumed that this was a game context security measure.  I
      would not consider a bug in the implimentation of the game to be a
      valid target for a game context attack, only those elements of security
      mentioned in the published rules of the game do I consider valid
      attack targets.

Mr Bates has since removed me from his blacklist although I haven't and won't
be readmitted into game columbus.  I also know that the latest version of
Galaxy does follow the model I described for mandatory security.

John Cochran

References

Re: To Digex and ALL Galaxy GMs!
jdc@access4.digex.net (John Cochran)
Tue, 06 May 1997 00:00:00 +0000
Re: To Digex and ALL Galaxy GMs!
lindahl@pbm.com (Greg Lindahl)
Wed, 07 May 1997 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Re: To Digex and ALL Galaxy GMs!
jdc@access4.digex.net (John Cochran)
Tue, 06 May 1997 00:00:00 +0000
Re: To Digex and ALL Galaxy GMs!
lindahl@pbm.com (Greg Lindahl)
Wed, 07 May 1997 00:00:00 +0000